The End?

“If someone dies, will they live again?” Job 14:14

I heard a story about a young man who called into his office and said he would have to miss two days from work because of his grandmother’s funeral. When he showed back up at work his boss came up to him and said, “Do you believe in life after death?” The young man, with a puzzled look, said, “Yes, I do.” His boss said, “Man, that makes me feel so much better.” The young man said, “Why? What are you talking about?” He said, “Yesterday while you were attending your grandmother’s funeral, she stopped by to visit you.”

Thousands of years ago, Job asked a question that people are still asking today. He said in Job 14:14, “If someone dies, will they live again?” In other words, is death a period in the sentence of life or is it just a comma? There are really only two viewpoints when it comes to life after death…either you believe there is life after death or you believe there isn’t. Yes, there is a difference of opinion as to what happens after death if you believe that life continues; but the only stark choice is either this life is all there is, or there is something more.

If there is not life after death, then all of the other big questions like, “Why am I here?” and “What is my purpose in life?” don’t even matter. It doesn’t matter who we are (we are nobody). It doesn’t matter why we are here (there is no way to know why we are here). It certainly doesn’t matter what standards we live by, because in the end…poof! It’s just over.

What you believe about life after death is vitally important to your life now. It is not something to put off thinking about. None of us are guaranteed another day. And while the world would like to sell the idea, “Live your truth, what is true for you may not be true for someone else,” this skewed logic does not work when it comes to eternity. You see, there is one truth on this matter. And every single person’s eternal life is subject to that reality.

Furthermore, knowing that there is life after death – and that each person will be held accountable for how we live and what we believe about Christ – should inform all that we do in this life. Knowing there is accountability helps us to remember that what we do matters…not just for today, but for eternity.

Dear Lord, how grateful I am that I get to spend eternity in heaven with you as one of your followers. Please help me to remember every single day that what I do and how I live now doesn't just matter in the present moment, but also matters in eternity. In Jesus' name, amen.